1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a safety handlebar for absorbing energy generated by impact of the rider with the handlebar which can be retrofit to a conventional frame such as a bicycle frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
Impact with a handlebar in slow speed bicycling crashes has been identified as a mechanism for causing life threatening truncal injuries in children. Severe abdominal injury is seldom immediately evident following bicycle trauma related accidents. A consequential injury that may result from such a handlebar accident is a traumatic abdominal wall hernia (TAWH). A TAWH is produced by a direct blow that is either blunt or may impact the skin with an insufficient force to puncture the skin. A TAWH occurs because the elasticity of the skin is greater than the other layers of the abdominal wall. The skin remains intact despite the fact that there may be significant disruption below the abdominal wall, i.e., muscle and fascia, thus causing a difficulty in detection. In the worst case scenario, bicycle handlebar trauma can cause death. Bicycle handlebar trauma is often hard to detect initially in a clinical atmosphere and may be further complicated by delayed injury.
In recent years, an increasing number of children have suffered severe abdominal trauma while riding their bicycles. Since this mechanism of injury has not been well described and abdominal trauma is difficult to detect without a thorough examination, many children are sent home and forced to return to the hospital when the symptoms become more severe. One particular form of accident is responsible for the majority of these injuries. This involves a rapid shift in momentum caused by the front tire of the bicycle coming into contact with a changing interface such as the transition from sidewalk to grass. This transition stops the bicycle and tends to rotate the front wheel and handlebars. The rider continues to move forward into an end of the handlebar and often hits the ground with the handlebar end still in contact with his/her abdomen. On impact, an additional blow is exerted by the handlebar on the rider, which is translated into the rider""s abdominal area.
It would be beneficial to develop a handlebar which absorbs at least some of the energy generated by the impact of the rider with the handlebar, thereby reducing the amount of force transmitted to the rider as a result of the impact which can be retrofit to an existing bicycle.
The present invention relates to a retrofit safety handlebar. A handlebar is modified to include a threaded portion on an exterior end thereof. The handlebar can be a conventional handlebar. The retrofit safety handlebar includes a threaded portion on an interior thereof. The retrofit safety handlebar can be threaded to the conventional handlebar. A bias member is associated with a shaft of the retrofit safety handlebar for biasing the shaft away from the conventional bicycle frame. A dampener is associated with the shaft so as to dampen movement of the shaft toward the frame after impact of the retrofit safety handlebar with a rider. For example, the frame can be a bicycle frame or a frame for other forms of personal transportation and toys that are pushed or ridden.